Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez once again proved his ability at the highest level as he defended his undisputed super-middleweight title by beating Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas.

The 33-year-old returned to the ring for the first time since May, and the break appears to have done him good, as he outclassed his rival at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Alvarez's status as one of the pound-for-pound best had been questioned in recent weeks, but after winning the 60th fight of his career, he is still looking to dominate for years to come.

Alvarez still at the top of his game

After nearly a decade at the top of the sport, Alvarez is no stranger to a one-sided performance.

The Mexican has outclassed and outthought several of his rivals over the years, and Saturday's fight in Las Vegas was no different.

Judges scored the fight 119-108, 118-109, 118-109 in Alvarez's favor, and he never looked in trouble.

The fan favorite controlled the ring from the outset, pushing Charlo against the ropes before unleashing body shots on the American.

He managed to knock Charlo down in the seventh round after landing an overhand right and an uppercut, but his opponent recovered from just the second knockdown of his career.

Charlo, who had not fought since May 2022, jumped up two weight classes to fight Alvarez, but he looked rusty and out of sorts and conceded he will return to fight at his usual weight in the future.

He told reporters: "I just felt like I wasn't me in there. I don't make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it.

"I'll move back to 154 (pounds). This morning, I weighed like 172 or 173 pounds. I'll grandfather myself into this. I'm proud of myself. He didn't knock me out. He knocked all them other guys out. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off."

Alvarez still planning to reign at the top

Alvarez now looks to have some momentum behind him after his loss to Dmitrii Bivol in May 2022. Alvarez stepped up to light heavyweight for that clash, only to lose on points.

A return to a more familiar weight brought better results, as he beat Gennadiy Golovkin in September last year before overcoming England's John Ryder in Mexico in May.

Alvarez looked tired and lethargic at times against Ryder, even though he won easily, and a short break appears to have brought the best out in him.

After winning 60 of his 64 fights, Alvarez could easily walk away from boxing and enjoy the fruits of his labor, but he believes he is better than ever.

He said: "Nobody can beat this Canelo. We know he's a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring. We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.

"I wasn't disappointed not to get the knockout. I feel great. That's why we fight 12 rounds. If I don't get the knockout, I get 12 rounds to show I'm the best, that I'm the better fighter. That's why it's 12 rounds, to show who's better."

What next for Alvarez?

A rematch against Bivol will no doubt be on Canelo's radar, and even though he would need to step up in weight once again, he would likely have no problem doing so.

Alvarez has been linked with a fight against Terence Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion.

In his post-fight press conference, Alvarez played down the suggestions of him dropping down in weight while Charlo threw his hat in the ring to face Crawford.

However, Crawford, who outclassed Errol Spence Jr., says he has no interest in facing Charlo, who he said showed no fight in Las Vegas.

The spotlight for now is rightly on Canelo, and fans need to enjoy him while they can. He is a "throwback fighter" - willing to fight anyone at any time. 

His trainer, Eddy Reynoso, has named Bivol and David Benavidez as possible opponents for next year. 

Benavidez would be another big name on Canelo's CV, with the 26-year-old unbeaten in 27 fights. The American has won 23 of his fights by knockout, and he would love the chance to prove he is still the man to beat in the super middleweight division.

There will be a time when Canelo's age and career catch up with him - but if Saturday is anything to go by, that will not be happening for a while.